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INSID E
THIS
ISSUE:
CDR’s
Corner
1
CSM’s
Forum
2
Mustache
Madness
HSC
Distro
Platoon
3
4-5
C CO
Pasab
Operations
DART 06
and 07
Photos
6-7
8-9
10-
12
T A S K F O R C E
WO R K HO R S E
D E P A R T M E N T O F
D E F E N S E The Workhorse Chronicle A P R I L 2 0 1 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3
The Commander’s Corner by LTC Andy Gignilliat, TF Workhorse CDR
Workhorse Soldiers & Family Members,
The 603rd ASB will remember the month of
March 2013 for the rest of our lives. Al-
though it gave us many opportunities to be
proud of our Soldiers, we also experienced
tremendous loss with the passing SSG
Scialdo, CW5 Reagan, and five additional
crewmembers from Blackhat 14 and Rath 55.
Please cherish their memory by honoring their
lives through your daily actions, thoughts, and
prayers; while especially honoring our Gold Star
Family Members. As we recover from these
events, I’m reminded of the importance of valu-
ing each of our fellow Soldiers with a perspec-
tive of respect and admiration. Our ability to
recognize our teammates as treasured members
of our Army family will only enhance teamwork
while adding value to our lives and garnering
unit success regardless of our deployed or garri-
son environment.
As we approach the halfway point of our de-
ployment, it’s critical we maintain our focus on
safety and mission accomplishment through dis-
cipline in conducting routine tasks “to standard”
each and every day. We’ve clearly demon-
strated excellence across the Battalion and must
now prevent complacency. In your effort to
sustain yourself professionally, we must maintain
our personal and emotional well-being by deliber-
ately conducting physical exercise, eating prop-
erly, and planning our sleep cycle. These pre-
planned actions will protect your long term health
and personal performance as a critical member of
the Workhorse Team.
Having observed our Battalion as its commander
for over 22 months, I can tell you I have never
been more proud of our Soldiers or of their un-
wavering support for the Brigade’s success. Over
the next 120 days, I ask that you refocus on two
aspects that’ll support you through the remainder
of the deployment. First, I need you to value the
friendships and relationships shared with your
fellow Soldiers because you will remember them
the rest of your lives. Secondly, you must apply
purposeful effort in protecting long term perform-
ance by fostering personal fitness. Lastly, I am
particularly grateful for those Soldiers and Volun-
teers who provided support to the families of our
Fallen Heros through their compassionate and re-
spectful devotion of both time and effort.
Sincerely,
LTC Andy Gignilliat
NO MISSION DENIED!
Right: CW5 Reagan’s
Team Photo taken
after his Memorial
Ceremony.
Caption
describing
picture or
graphic.
P A G E 2
“I am proud to be
the Command
Sergeant Major for
this great Battalion.
The Soldiers exhibit
pride in the unit as
well as spirit de corps
with each other.”
-CSM Grant Stange
Greetings Workhorse Team,
This has been a very hard pe-
riod for the Workhorse family
and team. We honor the service
of CW5 Reagan and SSG
Scialdo and the time we got to
enjoy them in our lives. As a
team, we will take a knee and
reflect on the experiences we
shared with these two great
men.
We will continue to honor their
memories as we continue to
place the mission first and com-
mit ourselves to conducting the
varied mission sets that
T H E W O R K H O R S E C H R O N I C L E
The Command Sergeant Major’s Forum by CSM Grant Stange, TF Workhorse CSM
We will continue to honor
their memories as we continue
to place the mission first and
commit ourselves to conduct-
ing the varied mission sets that
Task Force WORKHORSE
has been given by the 3rd CAB.
I ask all members of the TF
WORKHORSE team to re-
energize their focus on the task
at hand and commit to a better
tomorrow.
The weather has changed and
with that a new season has be-
gun, after the dampness of the
rains subside, all need to be
ready for the heat and dust.
Prep your areas accordingly,
and ensure safety is paramount
in everything you do.
I am proud of what the battal-
ion has accomplished these last
few months and amazed at the
level of family within the unit.
Through commitment and soli-
darity, we will complete the
missions assigned to us and
foster the environment that
will highlight the triumphs of
all sections across the forma-
tion.
CSM Grant Stange
“Mustache Madness” Coverage by SFC Patrick Donovan., Bravo Company HQ Platoon Sergeant
P A G E 3 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3
If you’ve walked around B co.
these days you may have noticed
a lot more hair sprouting above
the Soldier’s upper lips; in many
it provokes memories of Fire-
birds, mullets and flux-capacitors.
For those who are old enough to
remember those days, the 80’s
were a weird time in American
history (especially for fashion and
hair styles). In those days men
frequently sported Soup Strainers
on their upper lips. This trend
extended to the silver screen; leg-
endary mustaches adorned the lips
of Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds,
and Alex Trebek. More recently,
gentlemen such as Ron Burgandy
and Borat have prominently dis-
played Crumb Catchers. These
iconic figures have sparked reju-
venation in the eyes of the
Bulldawg Soldiers…this month
has been declared Military Mus-
tache March Madness (better
known as the Quad M).
CW2 Lambert and SFC Ogden
were the creative geniuses behind
the epic contest among members
of Bulldawg nation. It currently
has 47 participants (including fe-
males) whom are out to prove
their man-
hood by
dawning a
Mouth
Brow.
The prize
for the
“Best
Stache” is
a prestig-
ious
plaque and
entrance
into the “Pantheon of Great
Face Furniture.” The Soldier
with the worst stache will get a
complementary membership to
the “Hair Club for Men (or
Women).” When
asked about the
contest, Soldiers
generally con-
firmed that it
raised morale
within the com-
pany. One Sol-
dier, PVT Allen,
stated that “it’s a
good bonding ex-
perience.”
SPC Cheatham has emerged as
the current front-runner. When
asked about the contest, SPC
Cheatham said: “Go Bama!”
Other front-runners mentioned
were SFC Ogden and SSG Lan-
tier whom, so far, look like defi-
nite contenders for the ultimate
prize. Others, (both SFC Bels-
mas) have a steep hill to climb
to catch those two “giants of the
mustache game.” Either way,
the contest will produce some
interesting results and I’m look-
ing forward to see who will win.
Caption
describing
picture or
graphic.
P A G E 4
The 603rd Aviation Support
Battalion’s Distribution
Platoon provides the life
blood – fuel and ammuni-
tion – for the 3rd Combat
Aviation Brigade’s mission
set in Regional Command-
South, Afghanistan. The
team provides split-based
operations at Mustang
Ramp, Kandahar Airfield
(KAF) and Forward Oper-
ating Base (FOB) Fronte-
nac. The platoon is respon-
sible for two Forward Arm-
ing and Refueling Points
(FARP) (KAF and FOB
Frontenac), the Mustang
Ramp cold fuel mission,
the Petroleum Quality
Analysis System-Enhanced
(fuel test lab), and ammuni-
tion distribution.
The two FARPs are logis-
tically essential elements
which serve as locations
for combat and mission
support aircraft to rapidly
rearm and/or refuel, and
immediately return to the
operations across the bat-
tlefield. Collectively,
these FARPs issue in ex-
cess of 200,000 gallons of
fuel each month to over
400 aircraft. These Sol-
diers efforts provide an
unmatched capability to
the warfighters who
strive, on a daily basis, to
make a notable impact
on the current opera-
tional picture within Re-
gional Command-South.
The Brigade’s unsung
heroes are perhaps the
select group of Soldiers
who provide unprece-
dented refueling support
to the CH-47 Chinook
fleet on Mustang Ramp
via the cold fuel mission.
The team is charged with
the colossal task of refu-
eling the CH-47 Chinook
fleet upon mission com-
pletion/shutdown in a
concerted effort to en-
sure exponential cost
savings in the form of
reduced phase mainte-
nance and associate man-
hours.
T H E W O R K H O R S E
“HSC Distro Platoon-The Life Blood of Aviation Operations”
by 2LT Stephen Lemler, III/V
Soldiers from
the III/V Platoon
interacting with
Soldiers from
the United Arab
Emirates after
providing them
support during
an emergency
landing
An AH-64 Apache
landing to refuel
and rearm at
Forward Operating
Base Frontenac
P A G E 5 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3
This procedure may seem in-
consequential to most; how-
ever, these Soldiers efforts
minimize the amount of money
spent of scheduled mainte-
nance due to the reduced ex-
pended blade hours. The team
is on track to save in excess of
5,400 CH-47 blade hours by
the end of this deployment,
saving tax-payers millions dol-
lars; a phenomenal feat during
times of fiscal uncertainty.
The Petroleum Quality Analy-
sis System-Enhanced is a vital
asset to aviation operations.
This team of three shoulder the
mammoth task of ensuring the
quality of bulk fuel valued in
excess of $5 million utilized
for aviation operations. These
Soldiers test fuel samples on a
daily basis to ensure only top-
grade fuel in support of numer-
ous aviation operations within
Regional Command-South to
include, kinetic, medical
evacuation, cargo and person-
nel transport to name a few.
Last, but certainly not least,
combat operations would not
be possible or effective without
the lethality of precision muni-
tions to effectively target the
enemy, and the Soldier of the
ammunition section effort-
lessly provide this capability to
the warfighters. These Sol-
diers coordinate and issue am-
munition throughout Regional
Command-South and Regional
Command-West. Without their
continued efforts, offensive and
associated aviation operations in
Regional Command-South
would be severely degraded.
The section facilitates the stor-
age and issue of ammunition
ranging from 9mm rounds to
the infamous and unforgiving
Hellfire missiles. The section is
projected to distribute over $8
million worth (approximately
450 short tons) of ammunition
throughout this deployment.
Collectively, the Soldiers of the
Distribution Platoon provide
unprecedented support to a
range of customers who execute
a myriad of missions in support
of the war against terror here in
southern Afghanistan.
The fuel and armament team at Forward
Operating Base Frontenac
T H E W O R K H O R S E C H R O N I C L E
P A G E 6
“Charlie Company
adds a unique variable
to the typical opera-
tions of Task Force “
Charlie Company adds a
unique variable to the typi-
cal operations of Task
Force Workhorse. The na-
ture of the Signal Corps,
the main operational func-
tionality of Charlie Com-
pany, necessitates the ma-
jority of the Soldiers be
pushed out to outlying ar-
eas. At these locations,
Charlie Company Soldiers
are counted on to be the
subject matter experts when
it comes to operating communi-
cations equipment. One of the
many outlying areas that Char-
lie Company supports is Pasab.
The Charlie Company Soldiers
at Pasab live out of a GP-
Medium (large open tent) that is
adjacent to the building in
which they conduct operations.
Upon entering their sleep-tent,
visitors are greeted with a long
hallway down the middle of the
structure. Individual rooms
have been sectioned off by the
creative hanging of blankets,
offering the Soldiers a bit of
privacy during their off time.
Their work area is shared with
the medics, and consists of a
long table next to their
“stacks” (the cases that house
their electronic equipment). The
Soldiers spend their on-duty
hours monitoring their equip-
ment remotely from the com-
puter terminals which are lo-
cated on the table. Whenever
something goes wrong the ter-
minal gives them a good esti-
mation of where the error oc-
curs and then the team is off to
troubleshoot their terminal.
Inevitably, there is a lot of
down time due to the nature of
Signal work.
When the network is fully op-
erational, the job focuses on
monitoring the equipment and
making sure it stays fully func-
tional. This free time has al-
lowed these Soldiers to sign
up for college classes. In
their free time, these Soldiers
have turned their burn-pit
into a campfire of sorts. Off-
duty personnel can routinely
be found sitting around the
fire and telling each other
stories and jokes.
Currently there are 3 Charlie
Company Soldiers located at
Pasab (SPC Roberts, SPC
Moghab, and SPC Parmely),
lead by SGT Lasseter. It is
everyone’s opinion that this
team has performed to the
highest of standards during
our time here, and theyare
expected to keep up the out-
standing work.
“Operations at Pasab”
by 1LT Donald Ingham, XO, Charlie Company
Caption
describing
picture or
graphic.
P A G E 7
I write this with a heavy heart
for our Workhorse Family
and the families of two out-
standing men. While no
words could ever hope to ease
our sadness, let us remember
our Fallen for the giants they
were.
Chief Warrant Officer Five
Curtis “Skinny” Reagan and
Staff Sergeant Marc Scialdo
served as the Downed Air-
craft Recovery Team (DART)
Officer (06) and Non-
Commissioned Officer (07) in
Charge. With over 35 years of
aviation experience between
them, they forged a dynamic,
proactive helicopter recovery
team capable of supporting all
of Regional Command South.
Both were vibrant, charis-
matic leaders who captivated
the hearts of everyone they
worked with. They were
coaches, mentors, friends,
teachers, and champions to
their Soldiers; and devoted
husbands, fathers, and sons to
their families.
Rest easy, Gentlemen.
Staff Sergeant Marc A.
Scialdo
A ten year Army veteran,
Staff Sergeant Marc A.
Scialdo served overseas
tours in Korea and Hawaii
and deployed to Iraq and
Afghanistan as a crew chief
and mechanic on UH-60L
Black Hawk helicopters. As
a member of the Workhorse
Team, Sergeant Scialdo’s
natural leadership shone
brightest as DART 07 and
the UH-60 Maintenance Sec-
tion Chiefs.
Marc could always be found
where the work was the
toughest; wrestling with a
sling load or beating his
knuckles against an oil
cooler mounting bracket.
Sergeant Scialdo always
took the time to teach, train,
and coach his Soldiers the
way that caring leaders
should. He never accepted
mediocrity and pushed his
teams to greatness. Be-
cause of his example, the
DART executed real world
recoveries and the Black
Hawk section has inspected
and repaired over 20 heli-
copters in only four
months.
What many loved about
Sergeant Scialdo most was
his witty humor and inces-
sant love of pop music. If
you heard Katie Perry or
Carly Rae Jepson in the
hanger, Scialdo wouldn’t
be far away, usually danc-
ing along. He’d be quick to
share his new favorite pic-
ture from theChive or shout
“Put that down anywhere!”
when you dropped some-
thing. He is sorely missed.
KCCO Brother.
T H E W O R K H O R S E C H R O N I C L E
“DART 06 and DART 07: In Memoriam”
by CPT Nick Kanakis, DART Officer-in-Charge
“A Soldier lieth
beneath the sod,
Who many a field
of battle trod:
When glory call’d,
his breast he
bar’d,
And toil and want,
and danger
shar’d.
Like through all
thy duties go;
Waste not thy
strength in useless
woe,
Heave thou no
sigh and shed no
tear,
A valiant Soldier
slumbers here.”
P A G E 8 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 3
Chief Warrant Officer 5
Curtis “Skinny” Reagan
Few men can ever truly be called
a legend, but within the Army
Aviation community, CW5 Curtis
“Skinny” Reagan was exactly
that. In the course of his 24 years
of aviation service, Skinny accu-
mulated over 4,200 total flight
hours, 17 years of Maintenance
Test Flight experience, and nearly
2,100 hours of combat flight time
as an AH-64 Apache pilot. Yet,
he wasn’t content to simply rest
on his laurels and retire peace-
fully.
Skinny fought to come on this
deployment and help accomplish
the mission one last time. He
built, from the ground up, a world
class DART capable of support-
ing operations anywhere in south-
ern Afghanistan. He led training
exercises, taught classes, coordi-
nated ranges, and drilled his
team like a coach until they ex-
ceeded his expectations. His
commitment paid off in the hon-
orable and efficient recoveries
of two Fallen Angles; one of
which included the tragic loss of
his team’s own NCOIC, Staff
Sergeant Scialdo.
Chief Reagan had recently been
accepted into the University of
South Carolina Law School and
was just a month away from
returning home to Savannah to
retire. Skinny often boasted
that he would one day become
governor of South Carolina, and
given his determination there’s
little doubt that he would have
served his state well.
Fair well Governor. Staff Sergeant Marc A. Scialdo
CW5 Curtis “Skinny” Reagan
P A G E 9
CDR: CPT David Hernandez 912-315-2092
1SG: 1SG Shane Latty 912-315-2094
XO: 1LT Denise Bernard 912-315-7970
FRSA: Mrs. Celena Smith 912-315-2093
603rd ASB Home Detachment Contact
Information
TF Workhorse Deployed Contact
Information
BN CDR: LTC Andy Gignilliat
BN CSM: CSM Grant Stange
BN XO: MAJ Curtis Perkins
BN Adjutant: 1LT Marisha McLean
thus were defenseless when
exposed to the inevitable harsh
elements of life.
It has been my pleas-
ure, as the Chaplain of TF
Workhorse Soldiers, to con-
tinually experience men and
women allowing adversity and
the “winds of deployment” to
strengthen and mature them.
Countless Soldiers have used
this time to focus on intention-
ally searching their soul and
wrestling with who they really
are and what is most precious
in this life. Each day five to
eight Soldiers sit on the couch
in my office and make the de-
cision to grow, to own their
mistakes, to become the spouse
they haven’t been, to make
their children a priority, to heal
from past sleeping wounds, to
receive God into their life, to
break an addiction and the list
goes on. It has been a joy to
laugh, cry and celebrate with
Soldiers as they renew their
life, heart and mind. Have
you tried to protect yourself
from this deployment and
stay in a warm, inner and
comfortable place? If you
are brave enough and em-
brace the “winds” of de-
ployment, you, your family
and your children will be
forever changed. How deep
are your roots?
Growing up as a child every-
day on the way to school we
would drive by a huge forest
not too far from my home.
The trees were large, thriving,
green and lush and quite the
site for a youngster to take in.
However, while in high school,
they decided to increase the
amount of lanes and thus
needed to cut down the first
few layers of the tree line.
Two days later I was surprised
to see half of the forest wiped
out. The wind had knocked
over half of these massively
ancient tress. How?
My father then edu-
cated me. The trees near the
end of the forest had been ex-
posed to wind their whole life.
When wind blows the tree’s
roots grow and reach down
deeper into the soil. Adversity
had produced maturity and
strength. This is a “luxury” the
inner trees never received and
“How Deep Are Your Roots”
by Chaplain Michael Runschik
Some of the Soldiers bringing
pride to our Workhorse Team
March 2013: Battalion NCO and
Soldier of the Month were
SGT Manuel (HSC)
and SPC Brown (B Co).
April 2013: Battalion NCO and
Soldier of the Month were
SGT Bower (HSC)
and SPC Higginbotham (HSC).
The B Company
Powerplant Component
Repair Shop
